Country Roads
by luvofvamps
Summary: At 16 Bella Swan had the perfect life, homecoming queen, dating the quarterback, great friends. But, by 18 everything had been flipped end over end. Bella ran away from Forks with nothing in tow, except the one thing she needed to protect most, her daughter Carlie. Now, 13 years later she's forced back to Forks to settle her father's estate. The question is will she make it back t


Summary: At 16 Bella Swan had the perfect life, homecoming queen, dating the quarterback, great friends. But, by 18 everything had been flipped end over end. Bella ran away from Forks with nothing in tow, except the one thing she needed to protect most, her daughter Carlie. Now, 13 years later she's forced back to Forks to settle her father's estate. The question is will she make it back to home with her heart intact?

Disclaimer: I don't own the right to any of these characters. I do own this story; it is solely mine.

Pairing: Bella/Emmett

Rated: M

Note to reader: I'm not a writer. I do this solely for my entertainment. I struggle with grammar, punctuation, and tense. Please, be kind if you leave reviews. (if you have been waiting on updates on my other stories. I plan to return to them after I get this one uploaded.)

Country Roads

I make it about five feet into Forks and Shelia (the car I've own since I was 16) lets out a scream and pews smoke from her front end. "Come on Shelia, I don't want to be here anymore then you." I take a quick look over my shoulder at Carlie, to see that she's still laid out in the back seat a sleep. She slept most of the 20-hour drive up here, only speaking to me when she was hungry or needed me to stop. She hates me right now and I understand it, I hate myself as well.

I dig through my bag and grab my very beat up cell phone. I press the number that appears under my mother's happy shinning face. The phone rings and rings before going to voice mail. I look at the time on the clock. "Fuck…." I smack my palm against Shelia and quickly look over my shoulder to make sure I didn't wake up Carlie. I set my head against the steering wheel. "Sorry, Shelia. I know its not your fault." I leave my head there and let the silent tears drift down my cheek. Holding my phone tight in my fingers, I scrolled to the only number I still have saved in my phone.

"Hello," his raspy, deep voice answers on the second ring. I can't bring myself to respond. Just hearing his voice made me hurt in ways I didn't know existed. "Hello," his voice is still calm.

"Hi," my voice nothing more than a whisper. I know it's out of fear that he'll hang up on me, but I tell myself that its, so I don't wake Carlie. There's now nothing but a low T.V playing in the background. I know he's still there. "Sorry, to call so late," or at all I say to myself. "I just got into town and Shelia died on me. I think she's…"

"Where are you?" He cuts me off. You can still hear the calmness in his voice, but I can tell he's not happy that I called him.

"I'm just passed the WELCOME TO FORKS sign. Shelia," I try again but this time I hear the click and the low T.V playing in the background disappears. "Shit, he's coming right Shelia?" I place my head back on the steering wheel. "Fuck, Shelia. He's coming, why did I call him?" I check on Carlie one more time, pulling my jacket off and sliding it over her. When Shelia died so did the heater and the cold air is already seeping into Shelia. I sit quietly talking to Shelia, in the dark, blowing warm air into my freezing hands.

I check my phone for the hundredth time, checking the time, checking to see if my mom called me back and I didn't hear it, checking to see if he called me back to let me know he's not coming. "He's coming. I know him or knew him. He wouldn't leave us sitting out here." As I check my phone one more time, I shoot a please into the universe, and I see two head tights heading straight towards us. "See, I told you he'd come." I calmly say to Shelia.

As soon as the he turns of the lights, I slide out of Shelia. The sight of that grey Bronco brings back so many good memories and just as many bad ones. "Fuck, Bella. Where the fuck is your jacket?" He doesn't stop moving towards me, as he pulls his sweater over his head, shoving it in my arms, and making his way to Shelia's front end. He pops the hood and quickly closes it. "I can't fix this tonight."

He doesn't look at me, he dips his head looking in the front set, and moves to the back. He cups the side of his face and peaks in the back seat. "Is that her?"

"Yeah that's Carlie," I can't look him in the eyes. "I'll wake her," I pull the door open and Emmett stops me pulling the door open on his side of the car, just a crack.

"I'll get her." He puts his hands onto of Shelia and looks at me for the first time. "Why would you bring her here?" I can't answer him. what do I tell him that after 13 years in California, I still didn't have anyone that I trusted with her? "I'll have Jasper get the car in the morning." I watch Emmett through the window as he gently slides his arms under Carlie and picks her up, cradling her in his arms.

"I'll grab her bag." I jog around to the bac of Shelia and grab Carlie's bag. I watch in awe of the man in front of me carrying my baby girl. I missed him more then I knew.

I close the trunk, lock the car, and run across the street to Emmett's Bronco. He's waiting with the driver door open. "Only one seatbelt and no back…"

"I remember," this time I cut him off and climb inside. Carlie is all seat belted in and I pull my jacket up around her neck. I know she's not asleep, but I allow her to pretend she is. There's no need for awkward introductions. I dip my face into his sweater and breath in the scent that is forever him.

The Bronco comes to life with a shudder and Emmett cranks the heat. When he shifts the Branco into drive the old Branco jumps just like I remember, and I smile to myself.

I watch the old fashion streetlights pass in slow motion, every small thing about this town comes flooding back. "You can drive faster." I pull my jacket down a little off Carlie, the cab of the Branco is now warm.

"You don't have a seatbelt," he tells me, his eyes focused on the road a head of him.

"Never stopped you before." I mutter under my breath, but I know he heard me from the growl I hear come from him. "We're staying at my dad's place." I watch his face in the window.

"I know your mom told me," his body relaxes, and he let out a long breath. "I'm sorry about your dad."

"You talked to my mom?" My voice is a tad higher than I like. "And thank you for my dad, I mean about my dad…." I don't know what I'm saying. I'm uncomfortable knowing he talked with my mom. What did she tell him?

"Yes…." He tenses his fingers around the steering wheel. His eyes dart out the side window. "I still have Sunday dinner with her."

"She didn't…. She never mentioned it, you I mean," I wonder if she knew it'd hurt me. She never mentioned anyone. We just talked about my dad, Carlie, my lack of a life.

The Branco comes to a stop in front of my childhood home. I feel my chest tightening, I missed out on so much time with my dad because I was afraid to stay in Forks and face everyone.

"Do you have a key?" Emmett jostles me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, he still kept one under the door mat. You know in case I came back" I wait for Emmett to get out, but he doesn't.

"Does he know you're here, that she's here?"

"Shhh…" I push my finger too my lips and shake my head no. "Carlie, we're here." Carlie sits right up. "Em, she's 13," I look over at Emmett smiling for the first time. "She'll play dead to hear anything she's not supposed to."

"Thank you for saving us, since I know my mom won't say it." Carlie says opening the Branco door, grabs her bag, and darts to the house. She lifts the welcome mat, opens the door and runs in before I can make a comment.

"Sorry, thank you. I didn't have anyone…" Emmett puts his hand up stooping me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have Jasper pick up the car in the morning. He'll call you tomorrow and let you know when it will be ready."

The Branco cab is filled with nothing but silence. There's so much I want to tell him. Like how much I missed him. That we should get coffee or something while I'm in town. But I don't say any of it, I just slide out of the cab, closing the door behind me.

When his Branco jumps into gear and pulls away, I watch, and it hits me that I lost him 13 years ago when I didn't stay.


End file.
